


The Soul in the Stone

by Kovicon



Category: Original Work
Genre: Adventure, F/F, F/M, Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-03
Updated: 2016-07-03
Packaged: 2018-07-19 11:48:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7360144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kovicon/pseuds/Kovicon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Upon the reformation of the squad, the five face their greatest challenge yet.  Distant friends are reunited.  Old enemies are rekindled and friendships are forged even stronger.  Death and destruction reek havoc across the land but only they are there to stop it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Soul in the Stone

The clouds rolled over the hills like layers of silk from a shelf.  A blissful breeze blew onto the countryside as the rays of sunlight flickered through the clouds.  Snow capped mountains caressed the settlers as a pair of hands, protecting the vigilantes from harm.  It was a wonderful morning.  Birds chirped, farmers plowed, and the air was lively.  Smiles beamed from the faces of the villagers and even the guards were happy as well.  A central spire towered the landscape as smaller buildings populated the surrounding land.  Masons worked around the clock, making the necessary materials for homes.  The main quarry lead to a isolated area.  An area of practice. 

"No way!"  A man laughed in sheer enjoyment.  It was the first time the two had came together in so many years.

"You thought you had the upper hand?"  The other snickered.

"How do you always know?!"  An arm was raised as a long mirror like blade rose into the air.  Its magnificent engravings displayed its true beauty but nothing would last for so long. 

"Kazo...  I told you this before."  The second man lowered his tone.  "Strike with balance, not with brute force."

"But I-"  The palms of a worn out hand stopped Kazo in his tracks.

"No.  I can see that your stance is way off.  I can simply push with a single finger and you would fall to the ground."  He tapped Kazo's breastplate.

"Rho, I've tried and tried but I just can't do it."  Kazo sighed in frustration.  "I don't think practicing will help anyway."

"Well it might not be the best way to fix the issue, but I know it's the fastest.  Drilling things into minds is progress."  Rho smiled and placed his hands to his sides.

"Yeah it's definitely progress to get a headache."

"Oh shut up."  Rho moved his right hand to Kazo's shoulder.  "You'll a great warrior.  I know you'll be."

A moment passed by as the two men stared into the wilderness.  The once clouded sky finally opened up to the marvel of the forest.  Foxes roamed the land as the winds made paintbrush strokes along the tall grass.  Rho pulled and arrow from a nearby quill and began to feel the tip with his fingers.  Kazo noticed the metal tip's reflection in his eyes and proceeded to turn his head away.  A brief moment of silence passed but was suddenly ended by a question.

"What do you want in life?"  Rho quietly asked as Kazo's face was turned away.  "What do you really want?"

"Just to be happy."  Kazo replied softly.

"Just to be  _only_ happy?"  The two face each other.  "I sense that there is something else besides it."

"What are you trying to get at?"  Kazo's tone rose.

"Nothing at all."  Rho made up an excuse.

"No, you want to know whether or not I still love her."

Rho's face lit up.  He closed his eyes and sighed.  "Yes."

"I knew it!"  Kazo bursts in anger.  A tear rolled down his face as the name reappeared in his mind.

"Kazo..."

"No.  It's too late now."  He buried his head in his arms.  "Not after what happened."

"It's never too late.  We can still find her."  Rho gave Kazo a hug.

"How...?"  His voice choked.

"With the others."

* * *

"There there..."  A snap of a bandage wrapped the cut.  "You're good as new!"

"Thank you so much!"  A soldier smiled and returned to his home.  The medic turned around to see her friend training.  She was a beautiful woman who had an athletic physique.  Her tanned skin shone in the light.  A pair of silver earrings hung from her left ear.  Raven colored haired was braided behind her head.  An array of tattoos etched her forearms as her muscles tensed from swinging a sword.  She was a skilled fighter and a force to be reckoned with.

"Merxi, can you come here for a minute."  Her friend called her.

"What is it Vala?"  The medic walked forward.

"Is this bruised?"  Vala pointed to her right thigh.  "I can't really tell."

"No, but I would give it a rest in case something happens."

"I guess so..."  Vala pouted but managed to smile.

"Until then."  Merxi kissed Vala on the cheek.  "Stay safe."

Vala's face blushed furiously.  "I will."

* * *

The two men rode on horseback on the way to see their friends.  The sun had fallen dramatically as the afternoon sky shifted in hue.  A brilliant blue canvas soon evolved into an orange glow.  Clouds turned into pink columns of fluff, a sliver of the moon was visible to the keenest of eyes.  The winds had died down and it was a peaceful moment.

"We're still at war Kazo."  Rho looked upward into the heavens.  "But it's not  _our_ war."

"What do you mean by it's not  _our_ war?"  Kazo faced his partner.  "War is war, that's the story."

"No, the story is that we are not the ones that are fighting.  We're the ones that are ending."

"Ending?"  Kazo stopped his stallion.  

"Yes, ending."

"I don't understand."

"You don't have to."  Rho stroked his beard.  "It all started a year before you were born."

"You mean when you where five?"  Kazo widen his eyes.

"Yes... when I was five."  Rho covered his face and sighed.  "It was a time when our kingdom was at that center of it all.  We were a diplomatic nation.  We pride ourselves on making the best decision for the sake of our citizens.  It was the golden age of our civilization.  For over a hundred years, our lifestyle was simple and unmistakably serene."

"Then what happened?"  Kazo stared aimlessly.

"The usual succession of power was the culprit.  Prince Dravarov and Prince Kaizen were both equally matched in support and in blood.  Neither of them would eventually be the true successor."

"Lord Octix..."

"Exactly.  It was the youngest prince for he was the wisest of the three."

"But why...?"  Kazo shook his head.

"Nobody knows why, it just happened to be the final decision.  A decision that would split the great kingdom into three."

"That was almost thirty years ago, surely relations would mend by now."

"You wish."  Rho sighed.  "Things have gotten worse."

"How so?"

"A year after the major division, the king of it all passed away.  All three brothers hated each other and swore war till the other two were eliminated from the face of the earth.  My home village was raided by the forces of Prince Kaizen and we were forced to leave.  Many of us died on the way.  We couldn't find new homes in time and when we did, another raid displaced us once more.  Death and destruction riddle the world.  Not a single action was taken in order to regain unity."

"How did you find me?"

Rho smiled at the memory.  A rush of nostalgia trapped him in a frame of time.  "Let's have a seat and I will tell you my side of the story."

* * *

"Merxi..."  Vala groaned.  "It still hurts like hell..."

"What did I just say earlier?"  Merxi sighed.  "I told you to leave it alone."

"But-"

"No buts."  She wagged her index finger at her.  "I knew it was a terrible idea to let you ride your horse."

"Ehhh, I've suffered worse."  Vala chuckled.

Merxi slammed her palm against her forehead and slowly dragged it down her face.  The medic reached around the cabinet to find a book.  A hefty volume containing the recipes for various elixirs and potions, Merxi flipped the pages searching for a specific one.  The room was fairly dim.  Only a couple candles illuminated the area as the rest of the light was from the moon.  

"Found it!"  Merxi exclaimed.

"Found what?"  Vala replied looking confused.

"Just lay down, I'll be right there."

Within a moment, a vile was prepared and was placed on a metal tray.  Vala listened to the medic and laid on her back with her arms to her side.  The serum left a freezing sensation on the skin and made the area numb.

"Ahhhh..."  Vala squirmed her body as the liquid touched her skin.

"Just hold still, I'm almost done."  Merxi applied the last of the elixir and placed the vile back on the tray.  "There, you should be fine.  Just promise me you won't get yourself in more pain."

"Fine, I promise."  Vala finally agreed.  "And thank you..."

"You don't have to thank me as much as I should thank you."

"For what?"

"Saving my life at the Battle of Bralms, don't you remember that?"

"That was so long ago..."

"Not even five years ago!"  Merxi pouted and suddenly grabbed Vala's collar.  "Maybe this will help you remember."

Their lips collided with enough passion that Vala was thrown off.  The two fell along side with each other on the flat and laughed.

"Why are you so perfect?"  Vala smiled and brushed the hair from her partner's face.

"What do you mean  _perfect_?"  "Merxi laughed.  "You made me feel alive again.  Your laughter, your smile, your voice, all those things just make me so happy to be with you.  I love you."

"I love you too."  Vala gave Merxi another kiss.  "I wouldn't be here if you weren't there for me."

"I guess you're my reward"

"I believe you're right."  The pair laughed.

* * *

The two riders settled around a dead tree stump on the side of the trail.  It was pitch black with the moon lighting the way.  Rho fumbled around his gear to find his pieces of flint.  A barrage of howls echoed in the distance as the night grew longer.  A single flame emerged from oblivion and sounds faded away.  Kazo picked up a stick lying on the ground and lit the end of it.  Life as it is was a flame, moving in all directions until it dies out.  Rho sat down and signaled Kazo to do the same.

"I found you lying on the ground.  You were still wrapped heavily under layer of blankets.  The home you once were in was destroyed the moment I saw you.  I called my people to search the area, hoping to find your family..."  Rho paused.  "But no one came..."

Kazo stared in silence as he watched the emotions flow through Rho.  It was something he had never seen before.  The once stoic man was crumbling in his words.

"My father decided to take you as one of our own.  I personally did not know this until a month later when he told the rest of the clan.  We traveled for another year, searching still for your family but it was the same.  No one came...  I thought we should split up, divide and conquer.  Yet, it never worked.  We kept finding our own men, dead, mutilated, and destroyed.  Savage beast roamed the earth as they would pick us out for food.  We had to leave, and with that our search for your family was over.  My father took the blame, but no one really blamed him.  He fell into a deep depression and never recovered.  My mother tried as best as she could but even then it didn't save him."

"What happened to him?"

"We later found him dead along a few of his soldiers.  They were on an expedition to search yet again.  They all perished.  I mourned for days, weeks, and then months.  My mother left the family, deranged from all the madness.  I became reclusive.  I spent years learning how to survive on my own."

"And then you taught me..."

"I did.  I knew at that point that I had to look after you.  I wanted you to know the truth and that you we belonged to the village."

"Jova..."

"She came into the equation around five years after my father's death.  I noticed, then and there, that you two were in separable.  That no matter what happen you would look out after each other."

"But she's gone."

"No, she's still here.  I can feel it.  She wants to be saved.  She wants to be with you."

"I don't know where she is..."

"You don't but I do."

"You do?!"  Kazo yelled.  "Where?"

"In Dravarov's prison."

"No, that can't be..."

"It is."  Rho sighed.  "Kazo, when Dravarov's forces attacked the village over five years ago, he did something I thought no one would do."

"What"

"He kidnapped strangers and burned down the homes.  He tortured hundreds just to make a statement.  Thousands were killed with a single sweep.  I found you unconscious but I couldn't find her."

"I survived..."  Kazo exhaled and looked around.

"You did, but many didn't.  It's up to us now.  I've said this earlier, we are the ones that have to end it.  We have to unite the three kingdoms or else the war will never end."

"We have to get the others."

"We need to find Jova first, she knows more about this war than I do."

"What about Vala and Merxi?"  Kazo asked.

"Ride to them and tell them 'Rho needs you.'"

"I'm on it."


End file.
